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Jean-Claude Huguenot
Jean-Claude Francois Michel Huguenot, better known as the Barbarian (or just Baba to his friends) is a large and boisterous French commando from the First Parachute Regiment. History Early History At some point, Jean-Claude Huguenot joined the French First Parachute Regiment, where his personality and actions eventually earned him the nickname the Barbarian, or, to his close friends, simply Baba. When the DGSE assassin Veronique "Renard" Champion was preparing a mission to eliminate the American Marine Shane Schofield, Baba was among several troopers who were placed on attachment to the operation. Because Schofield had been assigned on a testing team in the Arctic in an attempt to keep him out of harm's way, Champion's team used a submarine to transport themselves up to the Arctic, while attempting to track him. Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves While their submarine traversed the waters beneath the ice, Baba and his teammates eventually located Schofield's testing team towards the end of his tenure in the Arctic. When they tracked him to an open lead in the ice, Baba joined Champion and Dubois on a submersible as the team prepared to attack. However, their submersibles had barely surfaced when they came under attack from aircraft that were already assailing Schofield's team. Baba, Champion and Dubois managed to avoid one of the Cobra's gunfire long enough for Schofield to hit it with a grenade, before they were rescued by their targets. As they fled through the ice leads, Baba used his 6P49 Kord to bring down one of the pursuing Cobras. Once they had found refuge in an old Soviet research facility on an islet near a larger research island, Baba, Champion and Dubois were informed by Schofield of the danger posed by the Army of Thieves, and how the atmospheric weapon they were preparing to ignite would also impact France. To this end, Champion and the others agreed to hold off on their mission until the Army had been dealt with. As the team discussed their next move, Mother introduced herself to Baba, complimenting his gun. Baba introduced himself in turn with pride, and expressed an interest in allowing her to call him by his shorter nickname. Before long, the group is forced to make a run through Dragon Island in the hope of stealing and disposing of the red uranium spheres. As they went along, Baba found himself impressed with Schofield's unorthodox methods and Mother's attitude. Eventually, once they arrived on the island itself, Baba agreed to lend his Magneteux to Schofield's plan to retrieve the spheres from the main tower. After finding a fuel truck and emptying it, Baba helped drive into the air between the tower and surrounding cliffs before using his Magneteux to create a crude bridge for Schofield to traverse. Once Schofield had the spheres, the group attempted to flee onboard an Antonov that Ivanov had procured, only for the plane to be damaged. Though the Lord of Anarchy fired a missile with a red uranium sphere loaded into it, it failed to ignite properly. In the ensuing attack, Baba attempted to help repel the berserkers coming at them, and was apparently caught under a cement truck. Luckily, Baba managed to throw himself clear, but when he came ashore he was captured by Big Jesus, who took Baba's Kord before the Lord of Anarchy had the French commando taken to the gasworks so that he could be tortured. Baba and the also-captured Mother were suspended from a forklift in the strappado position in preparation for torture. After Schofield was brought in, Baba was forced to watch as Calderon had Ironbark electrocuted, Hartigan's head encased by a wooden box and occupied by a rat that began eating his face, and Schofield electrocuted non-fatally, so that their screams would be broadcast to Emma and Zack. Calderon then decided to have both Mother and Baba subjected to the same torture as Hartigan. Before their heads were covered by the boxes, Mother whispered to Baba to do what Ozzy Osbourne would do and play dead. Schofield watched in horror as Mother and Baba's faces were apparently savaged by the rats. After Schofield managed to escape thanks to Bertie and attacked the gathered Thieves, he went and checked on Mother and Baba's bodies, discovering they were still alive; thanks to Mother's suggestion, they had bitten the heads off the rats before they could be killed themselves and then pretended to be dead. With Calderon in possession of Zack and Emma's spheres and attempting two plans to ignite the atmosphere, Schofield sent Mother and Baba to prevent the sphere Big Jesus had been given from being launched from a megatrain. After concluding that their best option would be to keep the train from stopping so that it could fire, Mother and Baba took control of the locomotive and set it at full throttle, and Baba was annoyed that Big Jesus was firing at him with his own Kord. As they slowed the Thieves' attempts to reach the locomotive, Baba unexpectedly asked if she was spoken for since he admired her skills as a soldier. While Mother realised while she and Baba were highly compatible, she told Baba that she was married, to which the French commando noted her husband was a lucky man for having her. After he kissed her, Baba set out to draw the Thieves' fire, getting shot in the process, but buying them the time to crash the megatrain into the sea. Diving off the train at the last moment with Baba, Mother pulled him into a nearby submersible, where she used the things in her Meals Ready-to Eat kit to create a makeshift clotting gel to keep the Frenchman from bleeding out. Mother soon drove the submersible away at full speed, allowing her and Baba escape the nuclear strike on Dragon Island that had been authorised by the Russians. They were later picked up and reunited with the rest of their team. Five months later, Baba (still wearing a sling for his wounded arm) and Champion made an appearance at the White House while the American were congratulated for their efforts, bringing news that Schofield's bounty had been canceled by the French. During the dinner, Baba conversed with Ralph and Schofield. Personality . Relationships Gena "Mother" Newman During their escapades on Dragon Island, Baba develops a very close relationship with Mother, who realises that he is her male 'mirror' (based on a horoscope she read). The two get along famously, based on their love of weapons and similar personalities. There is a moment that, when Baba asked if she is single and wants to be with her, Mother almost decides to be with Baba, but chooses to stay with her husband Ralph, which Baba respects. Trivia *When submitting the manuscript for Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves, the editors suggested that Reilly kill off Baba in a heroic fashion, but Riley ultimately decided to keep Baba alive, wanting to keep him around for more appearances in the Scarecrow series. Category:French Characters Category:Characters Category:Scarecrow Characters Category:Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves Category:Protagonists Category:French Soldiers